Considering Lilies Communitysubmitted by Brittney McGann

Who we are:Considering Lilies is a community of Christian mothers seeking to create an atmosphere of peace and learning consistent with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education. We welcome anyone committed to Miss Mason's methods or seriously interested in learning more, but we believe a Christian worldview is essential to understanding her work and that belief is reflected in the way the study groups are led.

What we do:Our purpose is to support and encourage each other as we endeavor to implement Miss Mason's philosophy. We are working to build a community of like-minded families to create an atmosphere conducive to building lasting relationships. To simply be a field trip group or playgroup is not honoring Charlotte Mason's idea of community and relations.

We currently offer at least one monthly field trip, Nature Study meetings and two small discussion groups. Field trips are to nature preserves, museums, historical sites, music events and more. Discussion groups are broken down by region to foster intimate discussion, allowing everyone a chance to be heard. Members are allowed to attend any discussion group they choose. They are not limited to the one that is closest geographically to them, but we prefer that you commit to one group primarily so as to foster relationships for your family. Discussion groups meet during the day with the children. During this time children are expected to play nicely with minimal intervention for 1-2 hours.

"There is no sadder sight in life than a mother, who has so used herself up in her children's childhood, that she has nothing to give them in their youth." (Parents Review, "Mother Culture") You cannot draw water from an empty well. We mothers need to make time for ourselves for refreshment and rejuvenation so that we can joyfully fulfill our many responsibilities. Several times each year, we hold "mother culture" events, for mother's fellowship and education. These events may include speakers, classes and book clubs for parents or simply an evening out, sans children.

FinancesThere is a membership fee of $25 per family, due August 31st. The funds are primarily used to pay deposits for field trips, pay banking fees and purchase supplies (checks, name tags, etc.). We have a paypal account as an easy option for families to pay fees and admission to field trip events. Checks are also accepted and should be made out to Considering Lilies. Payment information is listed in Files on the yahoo site. Fees for individual field trips are posted on the signup table on the data base.

Attendance and ResponsibilitiesMembers are required to attend two discussion group per three months, totaling fives times during the school year, to remain active in the group. Failure to meet this requirement could prevent a family from being allowed to participate group events. Most members make a genuine effort to attend all discussion group meetings because the conversation is enjoyable and fruitful.

BehaviorParents and children (as is age appropriate) are expected to be courteous and respectful of others. Dangerous, violent, destructive or cruel behavior warrants action from any parent in proximity if the responsible parents are unavailable or unwilling to step in. Examples of unacceptable behavior are fighting, bullying, cursing, lewd behavior or talk and destruction of property. In these cases parents will be immediately notified and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

When warranted (as decided by group leaders) disciplinary action is as follows:1. Verbal or email warning to parent2. Suspension of child or family from group activities for the month3. Expulsion from the group for the semester, year or permanently

Other behaviors that are not acceptable include gossip, lying, teasing in a cruel manner or any other behavior that is harmful to others. Behaviors that are regularly disruptive to group activities, frequent tantrums, general rudeness and lack of consideration among them, may also warrant a meeting with group leaders.

Conflicts that cannot be resolved privately can be brought to the group leaders for mediation. Most conflicts will be handled via email because of the difficulty in getting together without children. The email corespondance will be between the group leader, person in question and a "witness", named at the beginning of the school year.

It is our hope that these things do not happen, but in order to preserve a peaceful atmosphere we must have safeguards in place.

"The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children." Vol. 1 p. 137

Field TripsThere are usually two field trips during the second week of the month. Often times they are for two different programs, but at the same place. Cost will depend on the number of participants and the location.

You must sign up and make your payment by the deadline. Deadlines will be announced at the same time as signups. Even if there is space, the field trip will remain closed once it is past the deadline.

I will send out one personal payment reminder and if I don't hear from you in 3 days, you lose your spot. You may only sign up for one field trip per month.

In most cases, there are no refunds. Field trips often charge by program, not per person.

ModestyPlease be considerate to other families and be mindful of your dress at group meetings. Occasionally we will meet for events where swimwear is appropriate. No bikinis. Tankinis are fine as long as the midriff is fully covered. Tops should have full coverage, mothers and post puberty daughters should wear board shorts or skirts.

Sick policyPlease do not attend group functions if anyone in the family had a digestive virus, pink eye, strep throat or a fever with in the previous 24 hours. For illness requiring antibiotics, please wait 24 hours after the first dose before attending group activities.If you or any family member has a medical condition, please share pertinent information with group leaders. In the event that something were to happen during a group gathering, we want to ensure prompt and appropriate medical attention is acquired.

Discussion ForumOur group’s focus is Charlotte Mason Homeschooling. We ask that any discussions on our group forum be limited to encouragement and support in those areas and group planning. There are other avenues to discuss various issues and topics. We would like to keep our discussion forum easy to navigate and clear of unrelated topics. The forum is currently unmoderated and will stay that way until there is such an occasion to change the policy.

PhotosThe photo section of our online forum is currently reserved for a virtual nature notebook and handcraft album. We ask that members participate by adding photos to the collection, but please refrain from adding unrelated photos. In general, we ask that you respect the privacy of our families and not post photos of others’ children (on your online forum, social media outlets, or any other web interface) without parental permission.

PoliticsWe respectfully ask that there be no political discussion or materials on our online forum or at our group gatherings.

Group SizeConsidering Lilies will remain a small group. Each summer group size will be evaluated, based on the number of children participating. Leadership will then decide if there is room to add more families and how many.

...with all humanity and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3 ESV

This website is not affiliated with any particular institution or organization. This website is non-sectarian and privately published. Charlotte Mason's Philosophy of Education applies to all children, regardless of race, gender, religion, etc. This website is supported in part by purchases you may make through Amazon affiliate links. The content on this website, unless otherwise indicated, is the intellectual property of Jennifer Stec and may not be reproduced in print or electronically without permission. Thank you!